Studies on receptor for mouse erythrocytes in lymphocytes of patients with malignant lymphoma

In a group of 30 healthy subjects and 27 patients with the diagnosis of non-Hodgkins, lymphoma, the rosette test was performed with erythrocytes of mice of the C57 BL strain according to the method of Stathopoulos and Elliott. Lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood, and in four cases also from lymph nodes, on an Uropolinum-Polfa gradient. In healthy subjects, 12.6 +/- 6.9% of lymphocytes possessed receptors for mouse erythrocytes. The values in the group of patients were significantly higher (31.8 +/- 26.8%). Moreover, in the group of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the values (68.0 +/- 20%) were significantly higher than in the group with lymphosarcoma (9.7 +/- 7.7%). Results of the rosette test with lymphocytes isolated from lymph nodes were the same as with blood lymphocytes of these patients: a high level of 68% was observed in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and low levels (between 2% and 9%) in three patients with lymphosarcoma. It was concluded that the rosette test with erythrocytes from mice of the C57 BL strain detects low differentiated forms of B lymphocytes and could be useful in the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and differentiation from lymphosarcoma.